American Heroes #3
Music by Award Winning Jonathan Sprout
Jun 3, 2009 Melissa Morelli Lacroix
Award winning singer Jonathan Sprout is back with a new album – American Heroes #3. It tells what Sprout calls “uplifting and inspiring stories about real American heroes” through lively music, short biographies and quotes in the liner notes, and meaningful lyrics.
American Heroes #3 has been awarded the iParenting Media “Best Product of 2009” Award and the Parents’ Choice Recommended Award.
About American Heroes #3
American Heroes #3 features 10 hero songs, one instrumental piece called “Compassion,” and a song called “Good for Me” which is a song that honors heroes in general and thanks them for being an inspiration.
The people featured on American Heroes #3 represent a broad spectrum of American society – male and female, rich and poor, white and black, immigrants and Native Americans. The list includes:
- Milton Hershey – chocolate king and philanthropist
- John Muir - conservationist
- Elizabeth Blackwell – first female doctor in the United States
- Jonas Salk – founder of the polio vaccine
- Jane Addams – winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
- George Washington Carver – agricultural scientist
- Wilma Rudolph – Olympic gold medalist
- Thomas Jefferson – third American president
- Pocahontas – peacemaker
- Cesar Chavez – civil rights activist
The Cover and Liner
American Heroes #3 is well packaged. The cover is a wonderful painted mountain-scape – a symbol of the obstacles the heroes overcame – and a grouping of nine of the heroes. The tenth hero, a bearded John Muir, is featured in a circle with his hand raised in greeting.
A bald eagle flies above. The liner notes include a short biography of each of the heroes, the song lyrics and quotes from the featured heroes wherever possible.
The Music
The songs on American Heroes #3 capture the social and cultural contexts of the heroes through a variety of rhythms and sounds. The first song, “Chocolate King” is a lively gritty tribute to Milton Hershey. Drum and piano dominate “Come Back Home,” a lovely lyrical song about John Muir. “Doctor,” Elizabeth Blackwell’s song, begins with the gramophone sound of a barbershop quartet and then breaks into a melodic telling of her struggle to become a doctor.
“He Will Not Give Up” tells the story of Jonas Salk’s pursuit of a polio vaccine in an upbeat tune. Track 5, “The Least I Could Do” is a folkish tribute to Jane Addams and her work with the immigrant poor in Chicago in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is followed by a funky bluesy introduction to George Washington Carver and his work with the peanut.
“Can’t Stop” is a catchy inspiring tale about triple gold medalist Wilma Rudolph, and it features sound effects that capture her triumph at the Olympics in Rome. “What He Wrote” is a singable song that quotes from the American Declaration of Independence. It is sure to help students remember the Declaration’s words and its author – Thomas Jefferson.
“Pocahontas” is a rapid guitar strumming song sung from the point of view of English explorer John Smith who tribute the Native girl with saving his life. “Si Se Puede,” about Mexican American labor leader Cesar Chavez, has a Latin feel and features castanets, shakers, horns and guitar as well as an inspiring recitation of Chavez’s words.
Review
American Heroes #3 offers lively, catchy songs that will enhance history and social studies lessons in elementary and middle school classrooms. It will inspire students, teachers and parents and provide them with anthems to sing when they get discouraged. It is an ideal cd for the car, especially during road trips. American Heroes #3 is available through CDBaby.com, KidzMusic.com and Amazon.com.
Details
Title: American Heroes #3
Produced by: Sprout Recordings
Released: November 30, 2008
Length: 44 minutes
# of Tracks: 12
Cover of American Heroes #3
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